Smoke Blog: The Twitter Smokes

I had two cigars as a result of Twitter activity in the last week or so.

First up, CAO Cigars sent me an LX2 after I participated in a simple contest via Twitpic. LX2 is shorthand for “ligero times two,” making it a full-bodied smoke. Talk about truth in advertising! I enjoyed this one, but I may have been better off saving it for a time I could sample it alongside a good lager. A very bold smoke, full of leather and spice, with good construction that held up to a windy evening on my front porch. I don’t normally stock full-bodied smokes in my humidor (they’re tougher to share with cigar rookies), but I’d seek these out again in a cigar bar.

Shortly after the CAO contest, I picked up a follow from Nub Cigars. I’d not heard of them before, but I recognized the name on a box of smokes at the shop on Saturday and thought I’d give their Habano a try. They’re a very unusual-looking cigar, with a fat ring gauge (about an inch in diameter) and a short length (4 inches), making “nub” a suitable moniker. I expected it to be a short smoke like a robusto, that it might be good for those times I don’t have a full hour to hang out on in the back yard. Instead it took an hour, easily matching an average-length cigar. I do think the ring gauge worked against me in the wind out here, as the rim would cool off and the interior would keep on burning. As a result, a burn appeared on the outside of the wrapper about a quarter-inch back from the end, then started spreading and effectively circumsizing the end. As for flavor, no problems there: I tasted pepper before I even lit her up, and that more or less set the trend for the smoke. It had a surprisingly clean draw given the ring gauge, and my only regret was not smoking it indoors somewhere to keep the burn problem at bay.

In the end, two great smokes, both thanks to Twitter. I could really get used to this.

About Mike Oliveri

Mike Oliveri is a writer, martial artist, cigar aficionado, motorcyclist, and family man, but not necessarily in that order. He is currently hard at work on the werewolf noir series The Pack for Evileye Books.